Editorial: Is Nancy Pelosi serious about cleaning up the House?

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will make history this week when she becomes the first woman elected as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. What also will likely be seen this week in her handling of the Conyers scandal is whether or not Pelosi means what she says about cleaning up the ethics mess left by the Republicans (and not a few prominent Democrats as well).

Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., is scheduled to become chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, but only because he agreed when Pelosi previously made clear that she intended him not to waste time on impeachment proceedings against President Bush. But now we learn that Conyers has his own problems with obeying the law.